smith



(No Model.)

L. H. SEEL 8: J. M'. SMITH.

lGAR SIGNAL.

No. 268,735. Patented Deo. 5, 1882.

llNiTED .STATES Parnrzi'r Ormea. 7

-LOUIS H. SEEL AND JESSE M. SMITH, OF ANDERSON COURT-l-TOUSE, S. U.

CAR-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,735, dated December 5, 1882.

Application tiled May 31, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may conce/rn Be it known that we, LOUIS H. SEEL and JESSE M. SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at Anderson Court-House, in the coun- 1y of Anderson and State o1' South Carolina, haveV invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, which we have called The Morsine Railway-Signal 5 and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, Whichiorm a part of this specification.

Figure l represents a `side elevation of a locomotive-engine mounted on a railway-track provided with ourimproved automatic signal attachment, and is also a side elevation of our Morsine signal-rail77 erected on the side of the track. Figs. 2, 3, and tare detailed views of the same, similar letters ot reference indicating corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new attachment to locomotive engines and to railwaytracks whereby ditlerent signals will be automatically given without the assistance of the engineer, 'brakemarn or conductor at the approach ot' a curve, a tunnel, a public highway, a bridge, or other place, as notice not only to the public, but to arouse the engineer, brakeman` or conductor, should any of them be oft' their guard or stupid from overwerk or exposure. y

Our invention consists in the combination, with the engines whistling device, whistle-1ever, and cab, of our attachments and our Morsine signal-rail erected on the side ofthe track,

by means oi' which we cause to be automatically made'any desired signal. Thus in approaching a curve one short whistle may be given, in approaching a tunnel two short whistles may be given, in approaching a pub- 4lic'road one long whistle maybe given, in approaching a bridge one long and one short whistle may be given, in approaching a covered bridge one long and two short whistles may be given, and in approaching any place ot' danger -four short whistles may be given; or any signals may be adopted that can be most easily read.

The following' is a description ot our invention and the manner ot'its operation Inthe accompanying drawings, in Fig. 1, A representsthe steamfdrum; B, the whistling device; C, a coiled spring; D, the cab; c, the

ver. We do not change any of these parts, but pivot to whistle-lever e handle g. Then we put in the cab D, near its front end, and extending from one side ofthe cab to the other, and pivoted in proper bearings, lz., secured to the sides of the cab, shaft Rigidly secured to and extending from this shaft backward, and immediately under and in aline with handle g, is an arm, J, which is pivoted atits far end to the lower end of handle g. On one end otthis shaft t', and outside of the cab D, is rigidly and securely fastened the arm k, at right angles with the shaft and extending down the Side of the cab to a little below the lower sills of the Windows, with space enough between the cab and the arm to allow it to swing clear. On the lower end of this arm 7c is hinged afoot, l, extending outward far enough to reach about three inches over or beyond our Morsine signal-railE, hereinafter described; and nearly at right angles with arm 7c, however pointing slightly downward, is a foot, l. This foot is held in positionby means ot' springm. 0n the end oi' this foot is a spool, n, shaped like an hour-glass, which is` covered with rubber, and has a ilange, o, o n either end, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the side of the track is erected our Morsine signal-rail E, which may be made of heavy wire, plank, or other material, the upper edge of which is on a level with the grade of the track, and is divided into sections p by depressions r, made in its upper edge by cutting at certain points at such distances apart and .of such lengths as may be required to make such particular signals as are desired.. Extra signal-rails may be so constructed and kept on hand that they may be put up temporarily by the section-hands to announce any landslide or other unusual danger ahead. each section p oi' this signal-rail E are rounded down, forming an inclined plane, g,intode pressions r, so that the spool n will run up them onto the plane ot' the sections p. y

whistle-lever; f, the fulcrum oi the whistle-leawayrthe material or bending down `the wire The ends of IUD All things being in readiness, as above described, the engine is putin motion, and as it approaches any point whose signals are to be given the spool u strikes the inclined plane q of signal-rail E and rolls up onto the first section of said rail. This throws the arms Jand e up, opens the whistle-valve, and the whistle blows until the spool rolls oi' into the rst depression i. Then the whistle-lever drops down, closes the valve, and the whistle stops. When the spool strikes section two of said rail the same operation takes place, and so on. Hence it will be seen that any signal and different signals at different points are regulated by the number of depressions in the rail, their lengths, and the distances between them. When the fulcrum fis in front of the whistle, as shown in Fig.3,instead of being in the rear, asshown in Fig. l, we move the shaft il back to dotted lines sin cab D and extend arm J forward instead of backward, making the same connection with handle g as before, and when the spool n rides upon plane p the levere is pulled down, instead of being pushed up, and makes the Whistle blow.

In the rear of arm 7c, secured to the outside of the cab, is a bumper, t, or a short rod covered with rubber, so that said arm la cannot be -thrown up .more than forty-tive degrees, and

should it be thus thrown up it will strike this bum perand beim mediately returned to its place on the signal-rail; or we may use a spring for that purpose.

The arm 7c is made of spring-steel, and thinner in the middle than at either end, so that should the track be uneven and the engine that should the locomotivelean tothe left side the spool will ride the rail upon its outer inclincd plane, or should the engine lean to the right the spool will ride the rail with its 4 5 inner inclined plane, y, thus constant-l51 presentin g an even surface to the upper edge of the signal-rail; and should there be any unusual sink from heavy rains or other cause the foot l, by reason of being hinged, will give, 5o so that the arm 7c will not be broken, and the ilanges o o will prevent the spool from slipping off from the signal-rail E. Should the wash or sink be on the opposite side from the signal-rail, so that the engine will rise on this 55 side, then spring m will keep the footl and spool n down on the signal-rail.

On railway-tracks where the bed 'of the road is well ballasted, even,and firm this hinge may not be necessary, and we claim the right to 6o make the arm lc and foot l all of one piece, and to dispense with spring m when found to be expedient.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful, and desire to vsecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A signal device consisting of a signal-operatingrail, spool having inclines and flanges, as shown, to engage with said rail,sprngarm k, bearing said spool, and connecting mechan- 7o ism, substantially such as described, to opera te the signal, as set forth.

2. The signal-rail located near the railway track and provided with bearing-surfaces of unequal lengths, adapted to engage with mechanism on a passing train to produce a signal on thel principle of the Morsine alphabet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence ot' two Witnesses.

LOUIS H. SEEL. JESSE M. SMlTH.

Witnesses:

A. M.`DUFF1E, W. D. SIMPSON. 

